Device and method for packaging articles

ABSTRACT

A device and a method for packaging articles ( 14 ) are proposed, wherein the device comprises the following: at least one insertion device ( 30 ) which transfers articles ( 14 ) to be packaged into a folded box ( 28 ), at least one transport means ( 16 ) which transports a plurality of articles ( 14 ) to be packaged in the form of a stack in at least one packaging material bowl ( 12 ) into the gripping region of the insertion device ( 30 ), wherein an aligning unit ( 20 ) is provided which, in order to stabilize the stack, acts on the articles ( 14 ) which lies in the packaging material bowl ( 12 ), before said articles ( 14 ) pass into the gripping region of the insertion device ( 30 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device and a method for packaging articles.

A shaping shoulder for shaping a film tubular bag is already known from the German patent application DE 10 2007 049 703 A1. Elongated, narrow tubular bags, so-called stickpacks, can be produced with this device in a multilane process with a high level of output.

A device for packaging articles, in particular blister packs, is already known from the German patent application DE 10 2006 049 828 A1. A feed device supplies articles to be packaged. A multi-pass device comprises a multiplicity of bowls, each pass having it own separate drive. A transfer device is provided for transferring the articles from the feed device to the multi-pass device. Said device for packaging articles is particularly suited to packaging planarly designed blister packs into folded boxes.

It is the aim of the present invention to package in particular so-called stickpacks especially quickly and reliably into folded boxes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By the use of the inventive device and the method according to the invention for packaging articles, it is possible to facilitate a reliable transfer of the articles to be packaged from the packaging material bowls into the folded boxes by means of the selective alignment of said articles to be packaged. Said inventive device and method are especially suited to so-called stickpacks, which are elongated tubular bags that are filled, for example, with powdered filling material. As a result, the aforementioned packagings can have a relatively uneven filling under certain circumstances and thus exhibit instability in the stacked state. A shift of the center of gravity of the stack of the articles to be packaged, in particular of the stickpacks, is achieved by means of the aligning unit provided according to the invention; thus enabling the stack to be stabilized in the direction of an oblique lateral guide in accordance with an expedient implementation.

In an expedient modification to the invention, the aligning unit, in order to stabilize the stack, aligns the ends of the articles lying in a packaging material bowl such that the stack is inclined relative to the vertical. As a result of this selective shift of the center of gravity and subsequent support, the stack can also be stabilized during further transport into the gripping region of the insertion device and thereafter more easily into the folded boxes.

Provision is made in another expedient modification to the invention for the aligning unit to push the articles against the oblique lateral guide. The lateral guide furthermore takes on the stabilization of the now aligned stack of the articles to be packaged for further transport into the gripping region of the insertion device.

In one expedient modification to the invention, the aligning unit has a pivoting mechanism which moves a lateral plate perpendicularly to the direction of transportation of the transport means. This mechanism can act in a particularly simple manner on the end faces of the articles to be packaged without the transport means being blocked.

In another expedient modification to the invention, means for oblique positioning of the folding boxes are provided. The inclination of the folding boxes prevents the loss of the stack formation of the aligned articles until the closing of the folded box flaps on the insertion side. In so doing, a reliable filling of the folded box with the articles to be packaged is achieved.

In another expedient modification to the invention, a flap folder is provided which closes at least one flap prior to inserting the articles into the folded box. As a result, articles can be pressed against the closed side flap; thus enabling the stability of the stack of articles to be further maintained.

In another expedient modification to the invention, the insertion device has an oblique insertion surface, which corresponds approximately to the inclination of the stack of the articles. In so doing, the complete stack of articles can be transferred into the folding box. In a particularly preferred manner, the insertion surface is inclined with respect to the vertical in such a way that contact is initially made with an article which lies at the top of the stack when inserting articles into the folded box. This increases the stability of the insertion process.

In another expedient modification to the invention, provision is made for a lateral guide to be situated between the folding box and the insertion device. The desired stability can thus be maintained during the transfer of the stacks.

Provision is made in another expedient modification to the invention for toothing to be provided on the inside of the packaging material chain and/or the lateral guide. This likewise contributes to the stabilization of the stack of articles by the toothed sections interacting in a stabilizing manner with the lateral edges of the articles.

Further expedient modifications ensue from the further dependent claims and the description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the inventive device for packaging articles is depicted in the drawings and is described in detail below. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the device for packaging articles;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the aligning unit;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the insertion device in the transfer position; and

FIG. 4 shows a perspective depiction of the device comprising aligning unit and front lateral guide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A device 8 for packaging articles 14 has a transport means 16 which by way of example is embodied as a packaging material chain. A plurality of packaging material bowls are disposed on the belt-like transport means 16. Said packaging material bowls 12 have toothed sections 22 on the inner surface thereof, said toothed sections being oriented transversely to a direction of transportation 17 of the transport means 16 indicated by an arrow. By way of example, a plurality of articles 14 to be packaged is shown in a packaging material bowl. Said articles 14 are designed in an elongated manner, so-called stickpacks. The articles 14 come to rest such that the longer lateral edges thereof are aligned parallel to the toothed sections 22 of the packaging material bowls 12. An aligning unit 20 is situated at the outset of the device as viewed in the direction of transportation 17. In a pivotal motion relative to the open front face of a packaging material bowl 12, said aligning unit 20 moves a lateral plate 24 in a manner such that the articles lying in the packaging material bowl 12 can be pressed with the end faces thereof against the rear lateral guide 10 disposed on the rear, open side of the packaging material bowl 12.

The aligning unit 20 is depicted in detail in FIG. 2. It can be seen therefrom that the rear side wall 13 of the rear, open packaging material bowl 12 is inclined, namely in the same manner as the rear lateral guide 10. Said rear lateral guide 10 extends across a plurality of packaging material bowls 12 until said packaging material bowl 12 is situated in the operating area of an insertion device 30. The insertion device 30 moves the stack of articles 14 situated in the packaging material bowl 12 transversely to the direction of transportation 17 in an insertion direction 31 indicated by an arrow ahead to the open folding box 28. A flap folder 36 which can move up and down has already folded a lower flap 29 of the folded box 28 upwards so that the lower flap 29 closes the back wall of the folded box 28. In the insertion position, the packaging material bowl 12 aligns laterally with a lateral guide 38 which is disposed between the side wall of said packaging material bowl 12 and the front face of the folded box 28. A pre-insertion unit 34 which comprises a hold-down device is located above the insertion plunger of the insertion device 30. The hold-down device acts on the top side of the product stack to be transferred by said device pressing the product stack downwards.

Further details of the insertion device 30 in the transfer position are shown in FIG. 3. The pre-insertion unit 34 protrudes into the packaging material bowl 12 open to the front face and acts on the top side of a stack of articles 14 which is not depicted. The stack of articles 14 is aligned with the front face ends thereof in correspondence with the inclination of the rear lateral guide 10. The insertion device 30 has a slightly inclined insertion surface 32. Said insertion surface 32 is inclined in a manner opposite to that of the rear lateral guide 10; and therefore the uppermost article 14 of the stack, the end of which protrudes the furthest to the right, is initially gripped by the insertion surface 32 and inserted into the waiting folded box 28. The lateral guide 38 disposed between folded box 28 and packaging material bowl 12 has toothed sections 39 that are aligned parallel to the insertion direction 31, said toothed sections 39 being aligned with the toothed sections 22 of the packaging material bowls 22. As a result, the stability of the packaging material stack is improved when transferring stack during the insertion process. The folded box 28 is slightly inclined at an angle of inclination 42 relative to the horizontal. In so doing, the transfer of the articles 14 is made easier. The flap folder 36 can be moved in the vertical direction so that the lower flap 29 is brought upwards and therefore the rear side of the folded box 28 is closed.

It is evident in the perspective view of FIG. 4 that the slightly inclined folded box 28 is brought into this position by a correspondingly inclined guide 40. The guide 40 is embodied as a plate-shaped part having a top edge inclined correspondingly at an angle of inclination 42 with respect to the horizontal. The mechanical construction of the aligning unit 20 is evident in the view pursuant to FIG. 4. In the case of a corresponding lever mechanism 44, the lateral plate 24 shown in FIG. 2 is also brought into a pivotal motion so that the articles 14 which are not aligned are pressed rearwards against the oblique lateral guide 10. A front lateral guide 18 is disposed parallel to the front side of the packaging material bowls in the direction of transportation 17; and therefore the articles 14 lying in the packaging material bowls 12 cannot fall out forwards.

The device 8 for packaging articles 14 depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 operates in the following manner:

At the beginning, the packaging material bowls 12 are randomly filled with articles 14. The articles 14 embodied as stickpacks are, however, oriented such that the longitudinal sides come to rest with corresponding toothed sections 22 parallel to the side walls of the packaging material bowls 12 as indicated in FIG. 1. The transport means 16 brings the randomly filled packaging material bowl 12 into the gripping region of the aligning unit 20. The aligning unit 20 is fixedly disposed relative to the transport means 16. The transport means 16 stops the packaging material bowl 12 in such a way that the aligning unit 20 can act on the front sides of the products 14 by means of a pivotal motion of the lateral plate 24. In so doing, the products 14 are put in order in such a manner that the center of gravity of the product stack is displaced rearwards and the rear sides of the articles 14 are pressed against the rear lateral guide 10. The articles 14 thereby align in the form of a stack such that said articles, with increasing height, protrude further to the rear and are situated in contact with the lateral guide 10. After alignment of the articles has been completed 14, the aligning unit 20 again returns to the starting position. The transport means then moves the next filled packaging material bowl 12 into the gripping region of the aligning unit 20.

The aligned articles 14 enter into the gripping region of the insertion device 30. The rear lateral guide 10 is fixedly disposed relative to the transport means 16 and the packaging material bowls transported with the same. In the transfer position, the back side of the packaging material bowl 14 is now released; thus enabling the ordered stack of articles 14 to be moved in the insertion direction 31 to the waiting folded box 28 with the aid of the obliquely positioned insertion surface 32 of the insertion device 30. In order to additionally stabilize the stack of articles 14 to be transferred, the pre-insertion unit 34 presses via the hold-down unit downwardly against the top side of the stack. The pre-insertion unit is moved together with the insertion device 30 in the insertion direction 31. The stack is pushed along the lateral guide into the waiting folded box 28. To this end, the folded box 28 is disposed so as to be slightly inclined relative to the horizontal at the angle of inclination 42. The lower flap 29 has already been previously closed. After the stack of articles 14 has been inserted into the folded box 28, the other flaps of said folded box 28 are closed. As a result, the articles 14 are transferred into the folded box 28 in a particularly reliable manner.

The device 8 described is particularly suited to packaging stickpacks in folded boxes using horizontal cartoning machines; however, other, particularly elongated articles, which especially tend to gain excess weight in the stacked state due to inhomogeneous product distribution, can be packaged with said device 8. 

1. A device for packaging articles (14), comprising at least one insertion device (30) which transfers the articles (14) to be packaged into a folded box (28), at least one transport means (16) which transports a plurality of articles (14) to be packaged in the form of a stack in at least one packaging material bowl (12) into a gripping region of the insertion device (30), and at least one aligning unit (20) which, in order to stabilize the stack, acts on the articles (14) which lie in the packaging material bowl (12), before said articles pass into the gripping region of the insertion device (30).
 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that in order to stabilize the stack, the aligning unit (20) aligns ends of the articles (14) lying in a packaging material chain such that the stack is inclined relative to the vertical.
 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aligning unit (20) presses the articles (14) against a lateral guide (10), which is inclined relative to the vertical.
 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aligning unit has a pivoting mechanism (44) which moves a lateral plate (24) perpendicularly to a direction of transportation (17) of the transport means (16).
 5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that means (40) are provided to obliquely position the folded box (28) at a certain angle of inclination (42) relative to horizontal in an insertion position in which the insertion device (30) transfers the articles (14) into the folded box (28).
 6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the insertion device (30) has an insertion surface (33) which acts on the articles (14) in order to insert the articles in the folded box, said insertion surface (33) being inclined relative to vertical in such a manner that contact initially occurs with an article (14) which lies on top of the stack during the insertion process.
 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a flap folder (36) is provided which closes at least one flap (29) prior to the articles (14) being inserted into the folded box (28); and therefore the articles (14) to be inserted can be pressed against said flap (29).
 8. A method for packaging articles (12), wherein an insertion device (30) is provided which transfers the articles (14) into a folded box (28), wherein a transport means (16) transports a plurality of articles (14) to be packaged in the form of a stack in at least one packaging material bowl (12) into a gripping region of the insertion device (30), characterized by the following steps: aligning the articles (14) which lie in the packaging material bowl (12) in order to stabilize the stack, transporting the aligned articles (14) into the gripping region of the insertion device (30), and inserting the aligned articles (14) into the folded box (28).
 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that a side flap (29) of the folded box (28) is closed prior to inserting the articles (14).
 10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that prior to inserting the articles (14), the folded box (28) is provided so as to be inclined relative to the horizontal at an angle of inclination (42) which is different from zero. 